Montco DA Free to Use Confiscated Cash Secretly

Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor announced the $2.7 million his office confiscated recently from area gambling interests will remain in his office for uses he will not disclose. Nor, according to the law, is he required to disclose its uses to the people of Montgomery County. The County Controller will be able to audit how the funds are used.

"I can't conceive of a justification to completely shield that money from
public scrutiny," said Witold Walczak, the ACLU of Pennsylvania's legal
director.

I agree. It is irrelevant where the funds came from, now they are public funds because they belong to the County. The expenditure of all public funds should be transparent, reviewable, and accountable. Abuse and waste always follow secrecy and lack of oversight. I'm not inferring any ill motives or casting any doubt on the integrity of the Montco DA's office, which, in my experience, is a good operation. But anytime you have a lack of oversight and accountabilty of public funds it sets a bad precedent. Just because the law doesn't require oversight in this instance doesn't mean Mr. Castor must abide by that decision. As they say sunshine is a great disinfectant.